Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is one of the artistic and cultural landmarks of the town of Stratford upon Avon. This 1040 seat theatre has been dedicated to the world famous English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare. Today the theatre is owned and run by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre first opened its doors in 1932 and was originally known as the Shakespeare Memorial theatre. The place did have a turbulent history for several decades and after the second world war, there were some minor attempts to revive it. Finally, the place was overhauled and it was renamed in 1961, to what we know today. As tourism blossomed in the 60s and 70s, the theatre required additional minor modifications to increase its capacity and make it more comfortable.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is located on the west bank of River Avon adjacent to Bancroft Gardens, thus providing a very scenic and serene waterside setting.

In 2010, the theatre underwent more refined renovations and now has a 36-meter observation tower, which offers panoramic vies of across Stratford upon Avon and surrounding areas. Further, the renovations also improved backstage space and privacy for the crew and actors. The acoustics were also enhanced and fine tuned and the seatings were made immaculate. The Royal Shakespeare theatre is now also easily accessible by people with all types of disabilities. A lift has also been installed which now make it easy for everyone to go to the top of the theatre.

Today, the theatre offers three-tiered luxury seating with a clear view of the stage. The theatre is also well known for its Art Deco features including the corridors and staircase. In addition, the theatre also had a Rooftop bar and restaurant that overlook the Bancroft gardens and River Avon.

One remarkable feature of the Shakespeare theatre is that the stage protrudes and reaches out to the audience who are seated on three sides. This creates a more personal theatre experience and better interaction with the actors.

Outside the theatre, there is also a river walkway, which connects to the Holy Trinity Church and Bancroft gardens.

The Shakespeare theatre is open every day from 9 am. There are new performances all year round which are listed ahead of time on the website.

Visitors can now enjoy a meal at the Rooftop restaurant and one can also buy a ticket for a theatre tour and go to the tower.

While the Theatre can be visited anytime, the place does become crowded during the summer. The best time to visit the theatre is just at the end of summer or beginning of autumn when the weather is cool, the crowds are thin and you also get to enjoy the scenery without hassles. However, if there is a play that you must see, then you may have to go in the summer when Shakespearean classics are often played out.